Upon entering the conference room with caution, Kang Sihyun found everyone except them had already arrived. Hahyuk, including Taeju and other Muam Guild members, were seated in their spots, leading to an awkward situation as heads turned in unison. Lowering his gaze to the floor, Kang Sihyun took his seat in the only empty chair available.
"Are we late?"
"Ahaha…"
A glance at the watch revealed it was 10:03. Despite running, they were late, resulting in an awkward laugh, which Taeju, following suit, initiated the meeting promptly. There was a fear of being nitpicked for being late, but fortunately, it seemed that wasn't going to be the case.
"It's not the time to be leisurely, let's start. Everyone has to have lunch, right? Let’s finish this quickly and rest."
Taeju, drawing everyone's attention by tapping on the table, unfolded a giant map. Pointing at their current location on the map, he began speaking.
"Titan entered a location accessible to us at 8:10 this morning, so it would be wise to be somewhat on guard now. Given its massive size, there will likely be some signs before it appears, but we can't rule out any variables."
"We'll divide into four teams to stand guard in all directions. Teams will take turns eating and sleeping to ensure that no less than three teams are on deck at any given time, please keep that in mind."
As Taeju spoke, Hahyuk followed with the rest of the plan. Since it wasn’t a discussion, Kang Sihyun, under the unilateral commands issued by the two leaders, silently nodded in agreement.
"Each team will be given an emergency bell, so if you notice anything unusual while on guard, press it immediately. Anything out of the ordinary is worth checking. It’s better to check even trivial things than to miss something and end up in trouble."
"Yes."
"And we need to discuss how to respond when Titan appears. Who was capable of combat support?"
Kang Sihyun and another raised their hands. Taeju glanced around to check the faces of those in support classes.
"You were a buffer, and Kang Sihyun was a healer, right?"
"Yes. I can provide combat support if needed."
"That’s fine for now. Focus on healing and support for this battle since covering everyone with just one person is too much."
"Yes."
"Lee Hamin will protect Kang Sihyun, and Bandal will cover the other. Kang Sihyun, only use your class skills when you deem your safety is at risk. Otherwise, it’s better not to use them unless necessary. Healing ten people is more challenging than you think."
Just hearing about it was exhausting. While Kang Sihyun had experienced large-scale battles before, those times involved using wide-range healing during and after the battle to treat severe injuries, which wasn’t too difficult. However, the battle with Titan was different.
Throughout the battle, he needed to monitor the condition of himself and the nine others, conserve mana for unexpected situations, and more, making it quite tricky to manage quietly. It wasn’t a situation to act rashly and offer more help than possible.
Afterward, Taeju and Hahyuk, noting the time had passed 11 o'clock, began assigning teams.
"We’ll divide the lookout duty, with Hahyuk and I each taking the east and west. The remaining Redem Guild members will take the south, and Muam's team will take the north. If anyone has questions or complaints, please raise your hand."
With no hands raised in response to Taeju’s question, which seemed full of desire to quickly move on, he was satisfied and once more succinctly summarized the meeting's content for clarity.
"Titan is undoubtedly a formidable enemy, but there’s no need to be overly tense. Too much tension can hinder your true capabilities. And there’s no need for excessive worry."
After all, we have two S-rank individuals here.
With a playful tone, Taeju stood up, meeting everyone's eyes one by one, lastly sharing a smile with Kang Sihyun. It was a mischievous smile that lightened the solemn atmosphere, yet also reflected pride and confidence as a leader.
Regardless of the interpretation, it was undeniable that his expression allowed everyone to slightly relieve the pressure they felt.
The mood lightened, and the man with a smile on his lips concluded,
"It might be dangerous, but do your best. Even if it seems futile, have a little faith in your guild leaders. We're not planning on losing anyone."
"..."
"Let’s aim to return with our honor intact."
That’s what being cool is all about.
Taeju added playfully, laughing. Kang Sihyun exhaled a sigh of relief, watching the Muam Guild leader break the tension with a joke, causing everyone to chuckle and Hahyuk to clap, bringing the meeting to a close.
"Let's wrap up the meeting then. We’ll disband for now and regroup if necessary. After lunch, each team will move to their assigned area to stand guard. Everyone, please stand up."
With Hahyuk and Taeju leading, the rest began to stand and exit the conference room. Kang Sihyun, the last to leave, let out a long sigh of relief only after confirming that everyone, except the children, had left his line of sight.
"It went over smoothly, thankfully..."
The embarrassment of being called out for tardiness was unbearable. Being stared at with unexpected looks by Muam Guild members, he had wished for a hole to crawl into.
Worrying about leaving an impression of being late on important figures like Taeju, Muam Guild members, and Hahyuk, Lee Hamin playfully nudged Kang Sihyun, who was sprawled over the table.
"Aren't you going?"
"I'll rest a bit before heading to the crowded cafeteria."
"Are you sleepy?"
"Not really."
"Did you tense up during the meeting?"
"Not that either."
As the children each pulled up a chair and sat nearby, asking questions, Kang Sihyun, feeling something odd, lifted his head to look at them.
"Something feels off."
"What now?"
"Why am I the only one answering?"
"Huh?"
"All the conversations are happening through me. There are four of us here."
Upon reflection, Kang Sihyun realized most of their conversations followed this pattern. Even when they did talk among themselves, it was mostly bickering over conflicts, rarely engaging in normal dialogue. Thinking back on past conversations made Kang Sihyun furrow his brows in frustration.
"Have I been feeling tired lately because of this?"
"Is talking to me that exhausting?"
"It's not just you. Talking to everyone is tiring. Why do you twist my words? Are you a pretzel?"
"When is that joke from?"
Back in my day, we used this kind of humor, why not now.
He tried to use a line he remembered from the past, but it seemed out of place. Sitting up straight, Kang Sihyun brought the conversation back to the main point due to Lee Hamin's diversion.
"What I mean is, you guys should also talk among yourselves."
"Um, I do talk with the others."
"Is arguing considered talking? Instead of picking fights or nitpicking, why not ask each other simple questions like you do with me? It's unfair if you all ask me, but I have to answer all three of you."
"That's a strange place to seek fairness."
Lee Hamin snorted in disbelief. Kang Sihyun, ignoring his scoff, looked at the other two.
It might seem trivial, but it was an important issue. Being the main recipient of questions and having all conversations flow through him meant all the burden and fatigue of dialogue was concentrated on him. Naturally, this would lead to emotional and physical exhaustion, which seemed to be the reason for his recent fatigue.
"If we keep having conversations like this, I'll run out of energy quickly. Let's try to change this."
"Why bring this up now after all this time?"
"I've been feeling tired without knowing why, but now I understand. It's not that you're tiring me out; it's being the center of every conversation that's exhausting. Don't misunderstand."
Adding a precautionary note, Kang Sihyun waited for their response. They looked perplexed or unsure at first, but when Kang Sihyun stared at them as if expecting an answer, they awkwardly nodded in agreement.
"If that's tiring for you, we'll try to change."
Though Lee Hamin appeared somewhat reluctant, he eventually agreed to Kang Sihyun's request. Relieved at resolving one of the issues that had been bothering him, Kang Sihyun headed to the cafeteria a bit later than others. The children, perhaps mindful of Kang Sihyun's words, chatted among themselves on the way to the cafeteria.
Their conversation mostly revolved around practical matters like "Are you going to eat? Where shall we sit? Let's make a bet if not," which seemed argumentative but was nonetheless a significant improvement.
Freed from the barrage of questions, Kang Sihyun enjoyed a more relaxed meal than usual. Without multiple people throwing questions at him, his eating pace noticeably quickened. He had been scolded by Lee Hamin before for eating slowly despite not eating much, but now he realized it wasn't his fault, which brought a moment of indignation.
***
After lunch, armed with weapons, Kang Sihyun and the children moved to the south side of the ship to observe the sea. For the first hour or so, they focused intently, but with no significant changes, restlessness began to set in. Lee Hamin sneakily took out his phone to play a simple shooting game.
The game's sound effects quietly filled the air, drawing a rebuke from Kang Sihyun as he watched Lee Hamin play. Whether they argued or not, Kang Sihyun, sitting heavily in a chair, let the sound of the waves fill his ears, his attention only momentarily diverted by a gentle hand running through his hair, bringing waves of sleepiness over him.
"It's really soothing, isn't it?"
"Do you want to sleep for a bit? I'll keep an eye on the sea."
That wasn’t quite what Kang Sihyun had meant. Given their shared responsibility, he couldn’t just leave it to someone else and shook his head, forcing his eyes open to watch the waves lapping at the ship's side.
Despite his efforts to stay alert, the blue expanse remained tranquil, undisturbed by any signs of the anticipated threat.
As the afternoon sun gave way to evening hues and they settled back into their seats after dinner, the situation remained unchanged. Even as their shift ended and they prepared to head inside, the sea's calm persisted, belying the tense anticipation of their watch.
It was a relief, considering their three-month-long mission had only just begun; expecting immediate action might have been premature. With Hahyuk's words about switching shifts in mind, Kang Sihyun sluggishly made his way out of the room, his eyelids heavy from the brief nap.
The sharp sound of the emergency bell piercing the quiet marked a sudden shift.
Thank you for reading this far! You can access more chapters from HERE by joining my Patreon community. You'll gain exclusive early access to the COMPLETE NOVEL.
As a member of my Patreon community, here is what you'll get:
For $5
- Early access to 100s of chapters before they go public.
- You also get access to all the novels I'm translating, you can find them here HERE.
- Your name will be featured on the "Wall of Gratitude".
- The power to vote on which novel I translate next.
- You Get Ad-free Chapters.
For $10
- You get to suggest a Novel for me to translate.
- You get access to Digital art.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in gold).
For $20
- You get to recommend a Novel and I will immediately start translating it.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in blue).
Plus, you can Cancel your membership at any time.
Don't let this amazing opportunity slip through your fingers!
